It’s thought that the Ukrainian club are looking for a transfer fee in excess of £38.5m before they consider parting with their star player, but Liverpool chief executive Ian Ayre understood to have flown out to meet Shakhtar officials in Florida.

Despite Shakhtar playing hardball over negotiations, the player himself is keen for a move away from the club in a bid to improve his prospects of playing for the Brazilian national side.

‘Shakhtar Donetsk are not very big in Brazil, and I think I may need to move on to stand out and earn a place in the squad,’ he said.